Thus we con

"the succession of her bishops, is cóme down to us. "found all those, who, through evil designs, or vain-glory, or perverseness, teach what they ought not. For to this church, on account "of its superior headship, every other must have recourse, that is, the "faithful of all countries; in which church has been preserved the "doctrine delivered by the apostles. They, therefore, having founded "and instructed this church, committed the administration thereof to “Linus. Of this Linus, Paul makes mention in his epistle to Timothy. "To him succeeded Anacletus: then, in the third place, Clement, who "had himself seen and conversed with those apostles, in whose time "their preaching yet sounded in his ears. Nor was this alone true of "him; as many, at that time, were living, whom they had taught. "To Clement succeeded Evaristus; to him Alexander; and then the "sixth from the apostles, Sixtus, who was followed by Teleophorus, "Hyginus, Pius, and Anicetus. But Soter having succeeded Anicetus, "Eleutherius, the twelfth from the apostles, now governs the church. By such regular succession, has the doctrine delivered by the apos"tles, descended to us: and the proof is most clear, that it is one and "the same vivifying faith, which coming from the apostles, is at this "time maintained and taught." Adv. Hær. l. ni. c. iii. p. 200, 201, 202, 203.

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Against the private interpretation of scripture, now so fashionable among Protestants, and especially the promoters of Bible societies, who condemn, one and all, the Catholics for maintaining that THE CHURCH, and THE CHURCH ONLY, is the expounder of the scriptures, St. Irenæus, the "zealous opposer of heresies in general," as John Fox justly calls him, teaches thus: "Paul says: God appointed in "his church apostles, prophets, and doctors. Where therefore are the holy gifts of God, there must the truth be learned: with them is the "succession from the apostles; and there is the society, whose com"munication is sound and irreproveable, unadulterated and pure, "These preserve the faith of one God, who made all things; increase our love towards his divine Son; and expound, without danger, the scriptures to us, not blaspheming the name of God, nor dishonouring "the patriarchs, nor contemning the prophets." Adversus Hær. l. iv. c. xlv. p. 345.-"To him that believeth, that there is one God, and "holds to the head, which is Christ-to this man all things will be plain, if he read diligently the scriptures with the aid of those who are the priests in the church, and in whose hands, as we have shewn, rests the doctrine of the apostles." Ibid. c. iii. p. 355.

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"And not only from the evangelical and apostolical writings, which they perversely interpret, and wickedly expound, do these, (heretics) attempt to prove their assertions; but also from the law and the phets. For as there are in these many parables and allegories, which may be forced into various meanings, them they craftily fit to their own purpose, and thus draw from the truth those who have not a "firm faith in one God the Father, and his Son, Jesus Christ." Hær. l. 1. c. i. p. 19.-"Such being their positions, which the prophets never preached, nor Christ taught, nor the apostles delivered, they boast their own superior knowledge, and attempt to make it seem credible; forming, as it were, a rope of sand, by adducing some

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"words from the parables or sayings of the prophets, or of Christ, or "of the apostles; but so, as to violate the arrangement and order of "the sacred writings, and, as far as in them lies, dissolve the whole "connection of truth."—Ibid. p. 55. "So varying are their notions "drawn from the scriptures; and when a discourse has been read, shaking their heads with great gravity, they pronounce, that its secret meaning is above the capacity of all, and that silence is the proof "of wisdom. When, therefore, they shall be agreed among them"selves on what they draw from the scriptures, it will be our time to "refute them. Meanwhile, thinking wrongfully, and not agreeing in the meaning of the same words, they convict themselves; but we, having one true and only God for our master, and making his words "the rule of truth, always speak alike of the same things; all acknowledging one God, the creator of the universe, who sent his prophets, "and in the latter times, manifested his Son, to confound the incredulous, and draw forth the fruit of justice." L. iv. c. xix. p. 368.

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On the contested point of Tradition, which Protestants reject and Catholics stoutly hold, and which is neither more nor less than PUBLIC OPINION, received and delivered down from age to age, this "zea" lous opposer of heresies in general," says, "When these heretics are "convicted from the scriptures, they begin to accuse the scriptures themselves, as not being accurate, and void of authority, and so variously expressed, that from them truth cannot be discovered by those "who are ignorant of tradition. For that truth came not by writing, "but by the living voice: wherefore Paul said: (1 Cor. ii. 6.) How"beit we speak wisdom among the perfect; yet not the wisdom of this world. "-Now this wisdom each one of them pretends to possess, as he has drawn it from himself. For each one in his own perversity, perverting the rule of truth, blushes not to vaunt himself. On the other hand, when we appeal to that tradition, which, coming from the apostles through the succession of ministers, is preserved in the "churches, they object to it, observing that, being themselves wiser "than those ministers, and the apostles themselves, they have disco"vered the genuine truth.-Thus they assent neither to the scriptures, nor to tradition." Adv. Hæres. l. III. c. ii. p. 199, 200. "And had "these apostles left us nothing in writing, must not we, in that case, "have followed the rule of doctrine, which they delivered to those to "whom they entrusted their churches? To this rule many barbarous "nations submit, who, deprived of the aid of letters, have the words of "salvation written on their hearts, and carefully guard the doctrine "which has been delivered." Ibid. c. iv. p. 205. "Thus Polycarp always taught what he had learnt from the apostles, delivering it to "the church; and these things alone are true. To them all the "churches of Asia, and they who, down to this day, have succeeded to "St. Polycarp, bear testimony, He was a man of much greater authority, and a witness of truth more faithful, than Valentinus and "Marcion, and such perverse thinkers. Coming to Rome, in the time "of Anicetus, he converted many heretics to the church of God, announcing the one and only truth, which he had received from the apostles, and which he delivered to the church. There is an epistle "of Polycarp to the Philippians, from which may be collected, what

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was the character of his faith, and the truth which he preached. "Moreover, the church of Ephesus, which Paul founded, and where "John resided to the time of Trajan, is itself a witness to the doctrine "delivered by the apostles." Adv. Hær. l. 1. c. iii. p. 203.

Of the real presence of Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist, or Lord's supper, and the sacrifice of the Mass, which Catholics steadfastly maintain, and even resign their civil rights for the same, as the Protestants of this country have made the rejection of this doctrine a test of civil capacity, by compelling every person appointed to office to SWEAR it is DAMNABLE and IDOLATROUS, this "zealous opposer of heresies in general," (observe we quote John Fox) writes thus :"It is our duty to make an offering to God, and with a pure heart, a "sincere faith, a firm hope, and a fervent charity to present the Maker " of all things the first fruits of his creatures. But this pure oblation "the church alone makes. The Jews make it not, for their hands are "stained with blood; and they receive not the word that is offered to "God. Nor do the assemblies of heretics make it. For how can "these prove, that the bread, over which the words of thanksgiving "have been pronounced, is the body of their Lord, and the cup his "blood, while they do not admit, that he is the Son, that is, the Word "of the Creator of the world? Or how again do they maintain, that "the flesh turns to corruption, and partakes not of life, which is nou"rished with the body and blood of the Lord? Wherefore, let them "either give up their opinion, or cease from making that offering. "But our sentiment accords with the nature of the Eucharist, and, the "Eucharist again confirms our sentiment. The bread that we receive "is no longer common bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of two things, terrestrial and celestial." Adv. Hær. lib. iv. c. xxxiv. p. 326, 327. "They are truly vain (the heretics), who contemn the whole "divine system, and denying the salvation and regeneration of the flesh, "maintain that it is not susceptible of incorruption. According to this .66 then, the Lord did not redeem us by his blood; nor is the cup of the "Eucharist the participation of his blood, nor the bread, which we break, the participation of his body. When therefore the mingled "chalice and the broken bread receive the word of God, they become the Eucharist of the body and blood of Christ, by which the substance "of our flesh is increased and strengthened: how then can they pre"tend, that this flesh is not susceptible of eternal life? And as a sec"tion of the vine laid in the earth produces fruit in due season, and in "like manner the grain of corn is multiplied, by the blessing of God, "which afterwards are used for the benefit of man, and receiving on "them the word of God, become the Eucharist, which is the body and "blood of Christ: so our bodies, nourished by that Eucharist, and then "laid in the earth, and dissolved in it, shall, in due time, rise again." Ibid. l. v. c. xi. p. 395, 397, 399.

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Giving advice to his disciples, to offer their first fruits to God, not as if he stood in need of them, but that they might not seem ungrate"ful, he took bread into his hands, and giving thanks, said: This is my “body. Likewise he declared the cup to be his blood, and taught the new oblation of the new Testament, which oblation the church receiving from the apostles, offers it to God over all the earth-to him

"who grants us food-the first fruits of his gifts in the new Testament, "of which the prophet Malachias spoke: I will not accept offerings from " your hands. For from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to my name, a clean sacrifice. Manifestly hereby signifying, "that the first people (the Jews) will cease to offer to God; and that in every place, a sacrifice, and that clean, will be offered to him, and "that his name is glorified among the Gentiles." Adver. Hær. l. iv. e. xxxii. p. 323, 324. "Therefore the offering of the church, which the Lord directed to be made over all the world, was deemed a pure "sacrifice before God, and received by him; not that he stands in need "of a sacrifice from us, but because he that makes the offering, if his gift be accepted, is thereby rendered worthy of praise. As then "in simplicity the church offers, her offering is accepted by God as a pure sacrifice. Ibid. c. xxxix. p. 324, 326.

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We have been thus prolix in our quotations from this great and learned father of the Catholic church, who is stiled by John Fox himself a zealous opposer of heresies in general," because we shall have occasion, in the progress of our review of this mass of falsehoods and calumnies, the Book of Martyrs, to contrast the orthodox doctrines of St. Irenæus, with the notions of John Fox's Protestant saints, in order that the reader may be able to form his own unbiassed judgment on the merits of the question between us. We have before noticed the impiety of the test oath put to all persons in this country to qualify for office, from the lord chancellor down to the petty constable, and we now appeal to the candid reader, whether this qualification, in the face of these doctrines, so clearly expressed by a martyred "opposer of heresies "in general," is not a disgrace to the country, and therefore ought to be abolished? For, in the vindication of the orthodoxy of this doctrine of the Catholic church, and consequently the heresy of Protestants, using the words of John Fox, we have the declaration of the learned Dr. Grabe, a Protestant divine, who edited an edition of the works of St. Irenæus. He observes,-"It is certain that St. Irenæus, and all "the fathers—either contemporary with the apostles, or their immediate successors, whose writings are still extant-considered the Eu"charist to be the sacrifice of the new law, and offered bread and wine on the altar, as sacred oblations to God the Father; and that it was "not the private opinion of any particular church or teacher, but the "PUBLIC DOCTRINE and PRACTICE of the UNIVERSAL CHURCH, "which she received from the apostles, as they from Christ, is express"ly shewn in this place (alluding to the last extracts above) by Irenæus, "and before him by Justin M. and Clement of Rome." (See p. 49 of this Review for St. Justin's words.) What gross impiety and inconsistency must it then be, for men to swear at this day, that what was the practice of the universal church in former ages, and is proved to have been received by her from the apostles, is IDOLATROUS and DAMNABLE. What hypocrisy to raise an outcry against Deism, and persecute those who are unhappily under its influence, when the persecutors themselves most impiously protest before the throne of God, that what his Son, the Redeemer of the world, taught his apostles, is IDOLATRY and SUPERSTITION, and consequently meriting eternal damnation. We have it

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here stated, by John Fox and his editors, that St. Irenæus was "a zealous opposer of heresies in general;" we have proved from his works that the doctrine which he taught is the doctrine now preached by the Catholic church; yet do these men pretend to be " diffusing among "their fellow-believers a knowledge and love of the genuine principles of Christianity," while they scruple not to swear that that is damnable doctrine which St. Irenæus, the "zealous opposer of heresies in gene"ral," maintained was ORTHODOX. Reader, is it possible to find a parallel in any Christian country for impiety and inconsistency like this? Having thus filled the void made by Fox and his editors in the doctrines of the primitive Christians, we will now return to his list of martyrs under this persecution. From Rome and Gaul, Fox carries his readers into Africa, where he says, many were martyred in that "part of the globe." Of these he mentions in particular, Perpetua and Felicitas, who suffered with Revocatus, Saturninus, and Secundulus. Perpetua was a lady of quality, and Felicitas a female slave; the former had a young child at her breast; the latter was in a state of pregnancy, and was delivered of a daughter before she suffered martyrdom. The relation given by Fox is substantially correct, but here he suppresses an important circumstance or two, the notice of which would have shewn that neither he nor his church had any claim to these martyrs. Perpetua is stated to have had a vision, after being condemned to death, in which she was assured that her youngest brother, who had been dead some years, had been pardoned some fault committed by him when living, through her prayers. Thus confirming the doctrine then held as well as now, by the Catholic church, of praying for the souls in purgatory. When first brought before the people, they were exposed naked, but the condition of the one and the delicacy of the other, operated on the judge and the people, and they were allowed to be covered. A wild cow being let out upon them, it attacked Perpetua first, tossing her up in the air, when falling on her back she raised herself up in a sitting posture, and adjusted her clothes, which had been much disordered. She then tied her hair, and getting up, perceived Felicitas on the ground much hurt by the cow, whom she helped to rise. They then stood together, expecting another assault, but the people cried out that it was enough, and they were then led out, when the sword finished their mortal course, and enabled them to enter into the joys of heaven. So' great was the fame of these two martyrs, and their feast was celebrated in so solemn a manner in St. Augustin's time, that persons were annually drawn in great numbers to visit their relics, which were deposited in the great church of Carthage. Their names are inscribed in the canon of the Mass, as may be seen by a reference to the missals now in use among Catholics, and their festival is yearly celebrated by the Catholic church, on the 7th of March, a convincing proof that these heroic female martyrs were Catholics, and not Protestants. This practice of naming the saints in the mass, as also of praying for the dead, is coeval with the institution of the sacrifice itself. Anciently the names of those who were specially mentioned in the mass, were written on papers or parchments folded twice, from which they obtained the name of dyptics, and were deposited on the altar. The saints, however, who suffered martyrdom